Wheel



July 28, 1936.

F. L. MAIN ET AL WHEEL 7 Filed ma 31, 1932 Patented July 28, 1936 g IMich, 3551311018,"- f 'fassignnmnts, tojrhe Kelsey-Hayes Frank L. v

v Moore, Deal-born,

; I pan' Detroit, a corporation oi Delaware Mmbamnmy -31,1932;:SeriaLNo. crass-4 I "roas (cran -til The inventionrelates towheels and refers more particularly to spoked wheels for motor vehicles.One, of the objects of the invention is to provide a spoked wheel whichis simple in fconstruction Further objects are to so form the wheel thatthe spokes are efiectively connected to one of thehub and membersendto-so form theiwheel that the spokes are also tensioned while beingconnected. l

I These and other objects of, the invention will become apparent fromthe following description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdraw ing, in which- Figure lis a transverse section through a wheelshowingian embodiment of my invention;

Figures 2 and 3 are cross sections on the line 2-2 and 3-3 respectivelyof Figure 1;

Figures 4 and 5 are sectional views illustrating modifications.

The wheel embodying my invention is a spoked motor vehicle wheel havingthe hub and rim members I and 2, respectively, and the inter-connectingfront and rear rows of spokes 3 and 4, respectively. The hub member isformed of sheet metal and preferably sheet steel and has the hub barrel5 and the integral brake drum body 6. The hub barrel is enlarged at itsfront end and has the annular channel portion I formed with the holes 8through which the inner end portions of the front row of wire spokes 3extend. The hub barrel is also enlarged at its rear end and is providedwith the flared seat 9 for engaging a correspondingly flared seat uponthe inner hub I 0. The brake drum body has the back II which extendsradially and connects into the flared rear end por-- tion of the hubbarrel and also has the transverse annular flange I2 which is preferablyreinforced intermediate its edges by the annular hollow rib I3. This ribis provided with the holes I 4 through which pass the inner end portionsof the rear row of wire spokes 4.

The rim member 2 is also preferably formed of sheet metal, such as sheetsteel, and is preferably of the drop-center type. The base of its wellis preferably bossed inwardly toward the axis of the rim member andthese bosses have the holes I5 through whichlpa'ss the taeatdaaion almhthelfront and rear rows of spokes. The spokes =of sbothof these rowshave the dreads I6 =at their outer ends which 'are adapted to seatwithin the -concavities formed "by the --bosses in the rim mem- 1 her;These :spokes are' also preferably. provided with theenlargements I 1 attheir inner ends, the "holes 8. and, being of a size to permit theseenlargementsito pass therethrough during assembly.

.=I8 :is a: cast annulus within thechannel portion 1 :of the; hub barreland imbe'dding, the inner end portions of the front row ofspokes I9 is asecond cast annulus within the annular fiangeil2 Fof the brake drum bodyand 'imbedding the inner end portions of the rear row ofspokes 4. :Both

'ofthese annul-i {are preferably cas'tiron and furthermore areform'ed bycentrifugally casting the same within the hub member while, the portions'of this hub member which :contact with these 'castingsare at -asufficiently high temperature to insure fusing of the castings to theportions. The inner end portions of. both rows of spokes are alsofusedto' the castings, so that-as a result the spokes are effectivelyconnected to the rhubrmember and at the same time they are tensioned byreason of the shrinking of the adjacent portions of the hub member uponcooling thereof after the casting operation. The annulus I9 forms thebrake engaging lining of the brake drum.

The annulus I8 is also adapted to cooperate with the nut 20 indetachably securing the wheel to the inner hub and, as shown in Figure1, this annulus has the forwardly and outwardly bevelled inner bearingface 2I for engaging a correspondingly tapered outer bearing face of thenut 20. This nut is formed of the sheet metal member 22 having theannular channel portion 23 provided with the bevelled outer bearing faceand is also formed of the cast annulus 24 within the channel portion andinternally threaded to engage the front end portion of the inner hubII]. The annulus 24 is preferably centrifugally cast within and fused tothe channel portion of the nut when the latter has been heated to apredetermined temperature such that fusing is assured.

For locking the nut to the inner hub, bevelled bearing faces may beprovided with cooperating corrugations. Also, if desired, the resilientfinger 25 may be provided within and secured to the nut and having itsfree end portion alternatively engageable in one of the series ofnotches 26 formed interiorly in the front end of the inner hub. Thisresilient finger may be pressed inwardly to become disengaged from oneof the notches by means of the pin or plunger 21 which 7 extendsradially outwardiy threugh the nut and is engageable by a nut wrenchwhen being apt plied to the nut to force the'finger inwardly.

In the modification shown in Figure 41, the

spokes are provided with'the rounded enlargemember and prevent anymolten metal from flowing out through these holes during the'centrifugal casting of the annuli within the hub member. Furthermore, asshown in this figure,

the front end 01': the hub '"member hajsfthe return-bent portion 30providing,thefforwardlyj and outwardly tapered 'bearing' face .tl iorengaging the nut.

Figure 5'discloses anothertniodificationinwhich- L the irmer endportions of the spokes are-provided with the enlargements 32 formingthe" annular transverse. shoulders 33s for abutting theiouter L-face ofthe hub member and more particularlyits "portions surrounding the spokeholeswhen this hub; member is heated i and expanded; Also, as'shown inthis figure,vthefront endv of the'hub member has-the inwardly: andforwardly inclined flange. 34 which, during the centrifugal casting Voperationfunctions to retain'the -molten metal and-' which, after theforming of the annulus, is machined off, as is'also the annulus, alongthe dotted line'35, 'toform the forwardly-and outvwardlybe'velledabearing face for-"engaging the nut a t t g r In formingthewh'eel, the hub member :I- and :the rim member 2 are concentricallypositioned upona, revoluble fixture with the =hub member within-the rimmember; The front and "rear rowsof wire-spokes 3 and :4 are thenthreaded 40 rim member and the 'hubmember and these successively throughthe proper :holes in the spokes are forced 'inwardly by suitable means,suchas plungers, upon the fixture to firmly hold the -spoke heads IB-againsttheir respective seats in'the member lit this-time the irmerandthe same.

'perature is "poured intoboth the anhularfiang spoke inner end'portions,this metal fusing with tractor shrink totnsion the spokes. After-thewheel is remove'd from the-fixture the necessary machiningoperations maybe carried out to comslightly enlarged end portions I? of the spokes arelocated'within the hub member and. clear The annular flange l2 and theannular channel portion 1 of the hub member are then heated to apredetermined temperature and the fixture with the a hub member andspokes is rotated and when revolting ata predetermined R. P. M.moltenimetal atia predetermined term and the annular channel'portion'and around the the metal of-the hub member and of the spokes with whichitcontacts. The rotation continues 4mm 's ufiieient length'of time topermit the coolingqof the annuli j and the portions of the hub 'member'with whichfthey contact, after which the wheel may be removed fromthe fixture. During the cooling-the annuli more tightly grip the innerendqportion's of the spokes and these annuli and the" encirclingportions of the hub member conplete'sthe wheel; such machiningoperations ina eluding the machiningiof the annulus within the annularfian'ge 0f r-the' brake drum body and the annulus andalsotheirontinturned flange at the t fr'ont endzof the hub member; V

" -What'we claim as our invention'is: H

x -In a whee1',;'hub: and rim members, a spok having oneend connected toone of saidmembers and having an enlarged :portion at the opposite endextending through an opening in the other '-of said members 'ofsufiicient 'diame'ter to freely receive the enlarged portipnQsaid' spokehaving another enlarged portion exteriorlyofthe latter memberandofsufficient-dimension toclose the a hole through this member, and acasting within the last named member imbedding the portions of the-#spokes extending I through this i member 40 fo'r donnectingpthe spokesthereto.

v FRANK Q

